Chapter 1, The Masks
Darkness.
Silence.
There was nothing but darkness. The eerie silent added to the paranoia I was feeling at the moment. I don't know how a got here or why but I knew that there was something else in the darkness with me. I don't know how I know it's just a feeling. A feeling of being watched.
A light flickered on and off. Showing me a long, old corridor. Like the ones in an abandoned buildings, but there were no doors only rotting walls and rubble littering the floor. The light seemed oddly comforting in the dark lonely hallway. I slowly walked towards the bright light which blinded me the closer I got to it, something was telling me to turn back. The scuffing of the rocks met my tired ears. The closer I became the more that feeling aroused in me. I made it to the blinding light. I covered my eyes to adjust to the new change in lighting. I opened my eyes and gasped in shock. There was a man. Standing at the end of the hallway. I wasn't that he was there. It was his appearance. An abnormally tall and thin man was there, wear, what I could only see in this light a black suit. I could not see his face but an outline of his head. He appeared to be bald and had a long facial structure.
I tried to speak but I couldn't find my voice. It only came out as a dull whisper. The man slowly walked toward the light, not making a sound even with the mass of rocks and broken glass underneath him. The feeling of fear picked up in my stomach. It raged through my body. Telling me to run and get away from this man. The air became heavy and hard to breath in. My eyes narrowed to get a better look. I froze, everything stopped. The man was just enough away from the light to see is face. Not a face, more of an empty facial structure. No eyes, No nose, No mouth, No distinguishable facial features, nothing. I tried to scream but nothing would come, just the silence. My eyes widened in fear. Everything stopped my breath, my thoughts. The rapid beating of my heart could be heard over the silence. That man began to walk towards me again. My heart only quickened in speed by every step. He stopped and slowly lifted his hand. The small and now dime light flickered off.
-
Charlie's eyes shot open in panic and he quickly rose from his bed. He turned his wary head from side to side scanning his dimly lit bedroom. The orange glow of the streetlight outside gave and eerie effect to the small room of his apartment. He sighed at rubbed his face , feeling the rough texture of the five o'clock shadow. He perked up when he heard the loud buzzing sound of his phone. He looked over to the bedside table and reached over to grab the device. He looked down at the caller id and smirked. ''Hey, Rachel.'' He said.
''Hey, Charlie. Are you okay? You don't sound okay.'' Rachel replied in concerned tone.
''No, I'm fine. Just a bad dream. Why are you calling me at 6 in the morning…''Charlie yawned.
''Oh yeah, I was doing a project for collage and I forgot a usb at your place. It has a lot of information I need for the project and its due for tomorrow, well today but not until around 11 o'clock and could you be a doll and drop it off to me ASAP?'' She pleaded.
He sighed ''Fine, but just this once and you owe me like hell for waking me up. I'll be at your house at half 7 ok?'' He groaned and rubbed his face again.
''Thank you! ,Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! You're a doll Charlie! I'll see you then!'' That's the last thing she says before she hanging up.
Charlie groaned and pushed his legs over the side of the bed. He shivered with the winter morning cold. ''Why am I always used as the earned boy..'' He sighed to himself and walked to his bathroom. Charlie had a long shower to warm himself up after that he walked into the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a black figure at the window of his apartment. When he turned his head the figure was gone. Charlie narrowed his blue eyes and walked over to the window. He saw nothing but the back ally way. He shrugged it off as just being tired and walked to the kitchen.
*Time skip to 7:20*
Charlie walked down the steps of his apartment building. I was ice cold and dark other than the orange street light. He sighed and put his hands to his mouth to try and warm them up. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he looked down the street to see a man leaning against the last street light. ''I wonder why he's out this early and just standing there…'' He thought to himself. He could make out a red hoodie with the hood up and a black leather jacket. The man turned his head a bit. Charlie's eyes narrowed at what he saw, it looked like the man was where a mask, with large red eyes. Charlie stopped at his car and looked at the man. The man looked at him and then walked down the left of the street, into the darkness.
'' That was strange..'' Charlie said as he opened the door of his car.
*Time skip to Rachel's house*
Charlie walked up the steps to Rachel's town house. She came from a wealthy background so she bought a nice townhouse on the border of the town. He rang the doorbell and waited. He waited for about 5 minutes and sighed Typical.. He then knocked on the door loudly and heard footsteps followed by the said of unlocking locks. The door slowly opened to reveal a small young woman with dirty blond hair and brown eye with bags underneath them.
''You look great…'' He smirked.
''Thanks wise guy.. You have the usb..'' She said seriously.
''You make it sound like I have drugs or something…But yes I do have the usb.''He replied.
''Good, now come in your letting all the heat out'' She said and opened the door .
Charlie made his way through the door and into the large sitting room. He slouched onto the couch and crossed his arms. Rachel walked through the sitting room and into the kitchen.
''So you want some coffee?'' She asked.
''Sure, I need some after you woke me up..'' He replied.
''Haha, You won't the one that had to stay up all night.'' She sneered in reply.
''Why were you staying up all night anyway? What, did you forget to do you project?'' He asked.
''If you must know, It's a project about these mysterious murders that happen by theses' people that are controlled by a guy named slenderman. Its pretty interesting if you ask me.'' She replied with a smile on her face.
''Can I ask why you would do a project on psychopaths..'' He chuckled.
''We have to do it about mysterious . I picked this one. Well I better get back to work, thanks for bringing the usb over.'' She smiled.
''No problem, and don't forget shit at my house.'' He replied.
''Noted, Bye'' She said.
''See you later'' Charlie replied.
Charlie walked down the path to his car. He looked to the other side of the street and he thought he saw the same guy in the red hoodie again turning the corner. He shrugged it off as his imagination.
*Time skip to 1:00*
''Charlie have you read this?'' Charlie's friend Matt asked.
''No what is it?'' He replied.
''It says in the newspaper that the 'The Hunter' has killed two people this time, a couple Mary and Alexander Muris. Geez this guy is getting bolder and bolder. He's killed five people in one week. They say that he leave little to no evidence at the crime scene and there's always this weird symbol on the wall that is a circle with a x through it in blood. The witnesses say that the guy wears a gas mask and a leather jacket. There's no suspects.. Jesus Christ…to think there's a guy like this around here…it's crazy.'' Mat said in an astonished tone. He kept reading on silently.
''Yeah, crazy..'' Charlie replied, his mind drifting off about the man he saw earlier in the day.
'' hi guys..'' Charlie was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the quiet voice of his friend josh. A gentle giant is what people call him. He's over 6 foot tall but wouldn't hurt a fly.
''Hey josh! Surprised to see you here I haven't seen you in a few days and what's wrong?'' Charlie asked, mat was too keen on the newspaper article to notice.
''Oh, I got fired from my job…''He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
''Really? why?'' Charlie asked.
''Oh, I..I was late for work too many times so they fired me but it's okay'' Josh replied.
''Oh ok then, I hope you get a new job soon.'' Charlie smiled.
''Yeah…me too'' Josh sighed.
*Time skip to 11:25pm*
Charlie was sprawled on his couch reading his favourite book, the shining by Stephen king. He went to go get something from the kitchen when he looked outside his window. He saw a figure of someone outside in the allyway. The figure was wearing a mask,It looked smaller than the other man wearing a mask. Maybe a women. He walked closer to the window but the figure disappeared. Charlie sighed and walked down to his room. He decided to go to bed earlier than usual. He climbed into bed and closed his eyes letting the dark nothing